Three men charged after 'vicious' bar assault

David Hennessey

Updated 11:25 pm, Thursday, November 15, 2012

Arvit Bakalli, of Glendale, N.Y., along with Mentor Berisha, of the Bronx, N.Y., and Arton Gjonbalic, of Yonkers, N.Y., face several charges after they started a bar figh at MacDuff's Pub on Railroad Avenue in Greenwich that injured a bar employee and an off-duty Greenwich police officer early Friday morning, Nov. 9, 2012, police said.
Photo: Contributed Photo

Arvit Bakalli, of Glendale, N.Y., along with Mentor Berisha, of the...

Arton Gjonbalic, of Yonkers, N.Y., along with Arvit Bakalli, of Glendale, N.Y., and Mentor Berisha, of the Bronx, N.Y., face several charges after they started a bar figh at MacDuff's Pub on Railroad Avenue in Greenwich that injured a bar employee and an off-duty Greenwich police officer early Friday morning, Nov. 9, 2012, police said.
Photo: Contributed Photo

Arton Gjonbalic, of Yonkers, N.Y., along with Arvit Bakalli, of...

Mentor Berisha, of the Bronx, N.Y., along with Arvit Bakalli, of Glendale, N.Y., and Arton Gjonbalic, of Yonkers, N.Y., face several charges after they started a bar figh at MacDuff's Pub on Railroad Avenue in Greenwich that injured a bar employee and an off-duty Greenwich police officer early Friday morning, Nov. 9, 2012, police said.
Photo: Contributed Photo

Three New York men have been indefinitely suspended from their jobs at an upscale Greenwich restaurant after they were charged following a bar fight last week.

Lt. Kraig Gray, spokesman for the police department, said the fight occurred at MacDuff's Pub, 99 Railroad Ave., around closing time Nov. 9, and injured the bar owner and an off-duty Greenwich police officer.

After refusing to leave the establishment, the men, who are employees at Gabriele's Italian Steakhouse, then started a "vicious, unprovoked attack," said Gray, who did not release the name of the off-duty officer, who is temporarily off duty following the assault.

A second bar patron was also a victim in the fight, Gray said.

The bar owner suffered bruises and at least one broken bone, and the officer also suffered contusions, he said.

When reached by phone Wednesday, the bar owner said, "Nothing like this has ever happened" in the seven years he has run the establishment.

"What really kind of upset me is there was no reason for it," he said, adding he suffered a broken nose and four stitches. The bar owner requested that his name not be published.

Danny Gabriele, owner of Gabriele's Italian Steakhouse on Church Street, confirmed the three men have worked at the restaurant for almost two years.

Gabriele, who did not elaborate on what positions the men held, said he gathered information about the incident after it happened before deciding to indefinitely suspend them.

"The legal system will figure out what happened that night," he said, explaining he does not condone the type of behavior the men are accused of.

Gabriele reached out to the bar owner following the incident, and added he has "great respect for the police department," he said.

All three men were charged with assault on a peace officer, second-degree breach of peace and two counts of second-degree assault.

Bakalli and Berisha were also charged with third-degree assault.

Attorney Mark Sherman, who represents Bakalli, Berisha and Gjonbalic, said his clients "regret that this confrontation got out of control."

Sherman also said, however, that there is "another side to the story. We're hoping in due course that all the information will come out."

They were each originally issued $25,000 bonds and are scheduled to appear in state Superior Court in Stamford Friday.

The bonds were later reduced to $2,500 each, and a family member posted the money, according to Gabriele.